Where is it easiest to open: Charter Bus Industry
33 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3052” (soc) for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 160 | 15.9 | $53,367 | not matched | — |
| NY | 63 | 39.1 | $45,519 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| FL | 62 | 30.2 | $50,654 | exam | Cardroom Bus Officer/Director/Sharehol |
| TX | 57 | 31.3 | $38,190 | not matched | — |
| MD | 35 | 18.9 | $52,388 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| MA | 35 | 18.4 | $56,570 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| NJ | 32 | 39.7 | $52,906 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| IL | 26 | 14.0 | $52,975 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA |
| WA | 25 | 16.6 | $60,814 | not matched | — |
| NV | 23 | 11.3 | $36,477 | not matched | — |
| TN | 23 | 49.3 | $82,883 | not matched | — |
| VA | 17 | 41.6 | $49,045 | not matched | — |
| GA | 15 | 21.6 | $80,667 | not matched | — |
| PA | 13 | 30.5 | $48,655 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 12 | 27.8 | $41,360 | not matched | — |
| NC | 11 | 21.8 | $40,612 | licence | Regular Route Passenger Operations By |
| CO | 9 | 11.2 | $75,693 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| SC | 8 | 17.0 | $33,640 | not matched | — |
| AL | 7 | 15.3 | $26,766 | exam | CDL Class B |
| IN | 7 | 44.1 | $41,369 | not matched | — |
| MN | 7 | 12.4 | $34,448 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Scho |
| MI | 5 | 25.6 | $34,172 | exam | Chauffeur License |
| IA | 4 | 12.5 | $39,720 | exam | Bus Driver |
| CT | 4 | 43.8 | $47,726 | not matched | — |
| UT | 4 | 31.8 | $49,260 | licence | DRIVER - TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| KS | 3 | 69.3 | $42,875 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| VT | 3 | 23.3 | $59,614 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| DE | 3 | 18.3 | $43,945 | exam | School Supervisor of School Bus Transp |
| OH | 3 | 43.3 | $39,123 | not matched | — |
| WI | 3 | 25.3 | $42,724 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| OK | 3 | 6.3 | $13,579 | not matched | — |
| OR | 3 | 41.3 | $59,323 | licence | School Bus Driver Certificate; Special Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Driv |
| NH | 3 | 3.7 | $40,818 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.